Anglo-Saxon Britain

The Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms AD 700

by Peter Kessler, 14 February 2007

By AD 700, the Angles and Saxons had conquered and settled much of what was
becoming England (early Engle-land).

The former Britons, their post-Roman civilisation having
collapsed to a very large extent, had transformed in just two
centuries into the Early Welsh, their language changing considerable
to reflect their increasing isolation, even from British kingdoms
outside of Western Britain.

From this point onwards, they were never in the ascendant,
merely surviving for the most point as their eastern borders were
slowly compressed.

By AD 700, Northumbria had been the dominant kingdom for half a
century, but the tide was starting to turn in Mercia's favour. It
had increased its territory by over a third with the absorption of
Pengwern, and was ready to dominate eighth century England. Every
kingdom south of the Humber would pay tribute to it at some point
during the century.

The Welsh territories were only just beginning to build towards
a single united state, a process which began with the enlargement of
Ceredigion to include Ystrad Towy to its immediate south.